by Lisette: Lisette_an@hotmail.com

Legalese: The television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all related characters and material belong to Joss Whedon and UPN.  All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling.  I claim ownership solely of the story idea - no profit will be made by this.

Author's Note: I want to start by thanking everyone for your amazing support.  It really does mean a lot to me and I appreciate it more than words can say - especially to Empress, X-Lander, Catlimere, Rob, and AP.  Yesterday everything was far too much and I couldn't thank everyone in my proper way, but today I'm finding this a far more attractive prospect than RL.  Thus, a huge thanks to Darklight, Lala, WhiteWolf 3, Harry, Kiwi, Jo, jezowen, Mountain William, poppie, SparkySparkles, Angel, DragonGal, Wild320, manticore-gurl, and Harriet.

KaylsDaeAlMon: Should you ever find an occasion to use the Moldy Wart as Angel bit - feel free!  Just give me a nod in the intro for the idea, if you would.

Rosie: I thought that it was WAY neat of you to take such a notice of the description of Dumbledore's hands.  I guess that when I think of the elderly, that's always one of the things that strike me most - how unbelievably soft their skin always seems to be - so soft and wrinkled.  It just kind of carried over as one of the things I imagine for Dumbledore.

And yet another chapter leading to action - with a CAMEO!  I hope you enjoy it!

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
-Anonymous-

    Sighing distractedly, Ron allowed the voices of the various adults that surrounded him to drone somewhere in the back of his mind, his eyes skipping around the headmaster's cluttered oval office - an office that was filled to the brim with the main movers and shakers in the fight against Voldemort.  An office that was, quite surprisingly, also filled with three of Hogwarts' oldest students.  Ron and Hermione had only learned of Buffy and Giles' recent departure when they were summoned by Professor McGonagall to attend the meeting that was now taking place.  But it wasn't only the news that was surprising, but in addition the very fact that they had been invited.  In the past, the three were always relegated to the background and had to find out what was really going on the hard way - and the way that often got them in trouble.  But to be invited into an important meeting with the likes of Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Lupin, Sirius, Hagrid, his parents, Bill and Percy, and a few other people that he couldn't quite remember the names to... well, it was unprecedented.  Of course that meant that Hermione was practically hanging on every word that was being spoken, and occasionally offering her own input (which did earn her a few surprised and admittedly impressed looks from some of the adults).  But to Ron, the debates were nothing new and despite the odd fact that they were included in such a meeting, the youngest Weasley boy found his attention drawn elsewhere.  Namely, to the downcast face of one Harry Potter.

    Buffy was gone, and from the way everyone kept speaking of her help in the past tense, Ron had a sinking feeling that the petite slayer wasn't coming back.  And by the way that Harry's shoulders slumped and his eyes never quite met anyone else's, Ron knew that his best friend was well aware of this fact - and that it was eating him up inside.  Sighing once more, Ron slowly shook his head.  He had encouraged Harry's interest in the small slayer from the beginning, studiously ignoring Hermione's prophetic warnings about the heartache that falling for a slayer was sure to garner.  Deep down, Ron couldn't help but think that Harry had been somewhat prepared for the eventuality of death and the inevitable separation that would bring... but to have Buffy abandon them?  That certainly wasn't something that he had foreseen.  Although, in Buffy's defense, if You-Know-Who had appeared before him in the guise of someone like Fleur Delacour and then proceeded to drink his blood before adding in the final kicker that he had already paid a painful and in one case, deadly visit to his friends and family back home... well, Ron had to admit that he could see where she was coming from.  Then again, that didn't change the fact that his best friend cared about Buffy - so much so that he was caught snogging with her just a few minutes before the entire fiasco - and that she had left.  Left them all, You-Know-Who be damned.  It didn't change a thing and it certainly didn't do a thing to erase the heartache that was written plainly on Harry's face.  Perhaps... perhaps Hermione had been right after all.

    Sighing irritably, Snape glared at the gathered witches and wizards - and especially at the annoying trio that Dumbledore had seen fit to invite to this gathering.  While it was true that they were all on the verge of graduating from Hogwarts and earning a true place in the wizarding community, he hardly thought that such an idea warranted an invitation to something quite so serious and important - even if the Granger girl was adding some tolerably good insight.  The fact remained that the children had little place there, especially when Potter could do nothing else but openly mope that his little girlfriend was gone and the Weasley brat could only fret over his moping friend.  All in all, they were quite tiresome to watch and further added to his distraction and irritation - irritation that finally blew over as McGonagall once more tried to dance around the issue at hand.

    Nearly growling now, Snape quickly stood from his seat and allowed the group's startled eyes to fall upon him.  "We will be here all night if we allow this to continue as such," he stated, his tone cold as he glared at the deputy headmistress.  "For we all know why we are here.  The Slayer is gone," he stated, his voice flat as he spared a brief glare to Potter before sneering back at his comrades - if you could call them that.  "Voldemort himself has appeared at the gates of Hogwarts and has all but told us what everyone here fears to state," he continued, unabashed at using the Dark Lord's given name.  He supposed that after years of torture from the sadistic prick's hands, you tended to get over such a small thing as fear of a name.  After all, he had learned first hand that there were much more important things to fear about his 'master.'  "It won't be long now.  Voldemort and his Death Eaters are most likely preparing their assault on the school as we speak.  And we aren't ready for them.  Without aid, aid which we know won't be coming, the school will fall.  It's over."

    Sighing softly, Buffy watched as the brilliant sun's rays caused the green grass to sparkle and shift, bending to the summer's warmth and shining with a light that was custom for Southern California.  It was a sight that she had longed for during her months in England - a sight that she had spent many a long afternoon describing to Harry and his friends.  And now, when surrounded by such splendor, Buffy found herself unable to enjoy it as instead she thought of a towering stone castle covered in a layer of clouds, the bright moon lighting the school's grounds.  She had only returned to Sunnydale a scant few hours ago, but even now when surrounded by familiar faces and ensconced in her watcher's re-opened apartment... her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to the friends that she had abandoned to face such a great threat all on their own.  She had promised that she would be there for them and now she was forced to break that promise.  Only two hours had passed, but so much could have happened in that time that the impending battle could already be over.  Everything could be gone and she had no way of knowing their fate.

    "The new Slayer is here."

    Distracted from her thoughts, Buffy tore her eyes away from the single window that was set into the wall of the upstairs landing.  She hadn't even heard Faith approach... hadn't even been aware of anything save her thoughts.  As promised, Pomfrey and Snape's potions had done amazing work on the dark-haired slayer and by the time that Buffy had cried herself dry in Angel's embrace, Faith was checked out and ready to ditch the place that both slayers hated with a passion.  No one had commented on her red eyes and after another potion that Giles had forced into her hands, Buffy felt physically better than she had in months and even the traces of her tears were gone.  Then, it was like old times as the Sunnydale group climbed into Oz's van while the LA contingent followed behind in a blacked-out car that was an ideal mode of transportation for one so deathly allergic to the cloudless blue sky, and more importantly, the bright sun that drifted over Sunnydale at that early afternoon hour.  Within minutes the group had relocated to Giles' apartment, the windows opened to let out the musty smell while idle conversation drifted around, everyone too afraid to say what was really on their mind.  And too quickly, Buffy found her mind wandering away from the friends she had missed to the friends she had abandoned.  Within minutes she excused herself and wandered to the only place where she could open the heavy drapes and let the sunshine warm her skin and hopefully, soothe her soul.  So far, it wasn't working.  "The new slayer?" Buffy murmured, trying and failing to force her mind to wrap around Faith's words as she turned to take in her fellow slayer.

    "Yeah, some French chick," Faith added as she threw herself on the bed that had remained in the darkened apartment, patiently awaiting its owner's return.  "She and her watcher just got in and are down with the others.  Looks young - real young."

    "So did we when we were called," Buffy returned as she reluctantly drew the drapes closed and moved to settle beside her sister slayer.  "And that's fast," she added, her mind finally catching on to the unspoken parts of Faith's statement.  After all, the dark-haired girl had only technically died a scant five hours ago - if that.  Meaning that this new slayer had only been activated in less time than it usually took for someone to traverse the Atlantic as well as the country.

    "Kid's got a wizard for a watcher," Faith explained, shrugging her shoulders in a way that said she could care less, even as her eyes darkened imperceptibly at her words.  "Did some kind of wizarding mojo to get them here in double time," she added as Buffy's focus seemed to abandon her, her eyes drifting to place that most definitely wasn't the small and open space that they sat in.  "You miss him," Faith murmured, watching as Buffy's green eyes seemed to focus once more at her words, their gazes locking before the smaller slayer turned away once again.

    "Yeah, you could say that," Buffy agreed as she forced a small smile - one that she knew wasn't fooling anyone.  In fact, she realized that it was probably quite impossible to put anything past the younger slayer anymore.  They had spent far too much time in each other's heads to effectively pull off that anymore.  If Faith could read Buffy as easily as Buffy could read Faith... well, even a book would be hard pressed to be easier than that.  "I can't help feeling like I abandoned them," she added, shaking her head and turning her eyes away.

    "Then what are you waiting for?"

    Not expecting this response, Buffy turned quizzical green eyes back to her friend.  "Faith, I can't go back," she murmured, confused as to why she had to explain this to Faith, of all people.  "He killed your watcher and he almost killed you," she pointed out, wishing she could take back her words as the girl flinched ever so slightly at her blunt reasoning.  Sighing, Buffy quickly shook her head.  "If I went back, old Moldy Wart would just come back to Sunnydale and kill you all.  I can't do that to any of you," she murmured, her voice trailing away as she caught sight of Xander, followed by Willow, Oz, Tara, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley and Giles as they all trooped up the stairs to fill the small room until it felt like it was ready to burst at the seams.

    "What, you guys couldn't wait the five minutes for me to bring her down?" Faith demanded, rolling her eyes in annoyance as she jumped up from the bed and moved until she was standing with the others - nine friends staring down the small slayer who looked as confused as could be when surrounded by that many people.

    "Is this a call for a slumber party or something?" Buffy asked as she slowly curled her legs beneath her, green eyes ticking to the resolute faces of her friends.  "And aren't we neglecting our new guests?"

    "We sent them out for bread and cheese," Xander returned evenly, his face so serious that Buffy felt her confusion only deepen, "and anything else they wanted as a bad ruse to get them out of the apartment so that we could talk."

    "Talk?"

    "Well, we actually already finished talking," Willow admitted with a sheepish smile.

    "Although at first it was more like Giles talked, we listened," Cordelia interrupted with a long-suffering sigh.  "I was looking for the tweed and waiting for Wesley to interrupt every other sentence and felt like I was back in high school all over again," she griped as both Giles and Wesley shot her an indignant glare.

    Confused, Buffy arched a brow at her watcher even as he did his best to avoid her pointed stare, choosing instead to do a long-drawn out and furious inspection of the closed window behind him.  "Okay, I'll bite," she stated, arms crossing over her chest as she turned her eyes back to the delegation before her.  "What was the big discussion about that someone forgot to invite Buffy to?"

    "Pretty much about the fact that our lives have been in danger since the day we were born on top of the Hellmouth on one glorious day some odd nineteen years ago," Xander explained with a goofy grin as Willow elbowed his side sharply and nodded towards the others in their conglomeration that certainly weren't born anywhere close to nineteen years ago and especially not atop the Hellmouth.  "Well, the point is that we're always in danger-"

    "And not just because of you," Willow quickly added, "because, hello, Hellmouth!" she finished, practically singing the last part as she bounced on the balls of her feet, grinning openly at her best friend that she had missed so much.

    "So we think you should go back to Hogwarts," Xander finished, his smile faltering at the confused and crestfallen expression on Buffy's face.  Then, in a flash of understanding, he quickly added in the kicker.  "Only this time, we're coming with you."

    "Neh... huh?" Buffy muttered, slowly shaking her head as her eyes once more drifted to her watcher who continued to studiously remain outside the current conversation.  A very odd trait indeed for her watcher.  Sighing, Buffy turned back to the others, surprised to see that by the expressions on their faces, this proclamation didn't only include Xander and Willow, but all of the others as well, including Oz, Tara and those from Los Angeles.  Shaking her head, Buffy felt her expression turn down in a hard frown as she looked at them all in turn.  "Apparently what Giles forgot to mention in this discussion," she began, her eyes landing for a moment on her watcher, "is the fact that this is more than just Hellmouth dangerous.  This is a whole new world of dangerous that doesn't belong to you guys.  I mean, haven't you heard anything that anyone at all has said in the past four years?  We have a responsibility to the Hellmouth.  And Angel just finished telling me of the responsibility that you guys have to Los Angeles!" she added, frowning pointedly at Angel and the others.  "What part of this responsibility gig aren't you guys picking up on?"

    "And weren't you," Xander quickly broke in, his eyes hard as he refused to turn away from his friend's piercing green glare, "the one who told us that you had to leave us and go to this magic school of yours because your bad guy wasn't just their problem?"

    "They got a point, B," Faith added, her dark eyes locking with Buffy.  "Once that school of yours falls, your big old nasty is going to become all of our problem."

    "But the Hellmouth-"

    "Has a new slayer," the dark-haired slayer promptly cut in with a smile that said that she knew she had won, even if Buffy didn't quite realize that yet.  "Technically, my untimely demise has just passed the mantle on to the new kid," she added with a smile that bordered more on a leer.  "This ain't my place anymore, no more than it's yours, and it sounds like we're needed more at the witchy school."

    "Three slayers does sound like overkill," Oz added, surprising Buffy as he joined in the conversation.

    "And I think I owe some ass kicking," Faith added, her expression turning dark as her hand flexed at her side.  "E was pretty cool and I think she deserves at least that."

    "Besides," Xander added, pushing his own sorrow to the side, "you, Faith and Angel got that whole uber strength going, and while Oz, Wesley and I may not be all up on the magic, we're pretty good with the weapons.  When the fight starts we can always hang back and play Wesley Snipes and snipe a bit from the rooftops."

    "And Tara and I have gotten really good with the Wiccan magic," Willow added eagerly, her eyes shining.  "And yeah, while we can't draw on the Hellmouth, Giles said that the school and the grounds are practically coated with it."

    Smiling wryly at her friend's enthusiasm, Buffy automatically turned to the last person who hadn't spoken up with her grand plans for what she'd be doing in the upcoming battle - a smile that grew as Cordelia met her even gaze.  "Hey, I'm just along for the ride," the brunette snapped, crossing her arms stubbornly before her.  Yet despite her amusement, Buffy felt her frown returning as visions of Faith laid up in the hospital bed plagued her mind.  She couldn't do this to her friends.  She couldn't willingly endanger them.  Not-

    "Buffy, we've discussed this a great deal-"

    "Obviously," Buffy snapped, her eyes returning to her watcher as the eldest amongst them finally joined in the conversation. 

    He had hoped that the others would be able to win this argument on their own, showing the small slayer that they in fact had made this decision on their own, but Buffy was stubborn.  So stubborn that Giles had been quite prepared for this eventuality.  "-and we've come to the conclusion that this option makes the most sense," he finished, his voice firm.  "If Voldemort manages to take Hogwarts, an outcome that I'm certain will happen without our help, then what is to stop him from coming back to the Hellmouth and finishing what he started?" he asked, watching as Buffy's eyes narrowed at him.  "What would stop him from coming back when he now has both slayers in a place where they are unable to do anything against him?" he asked again, wondering if enough time had passed for these same thoughts to of passed through his slayer's mind.  "Voldemort made a tactical move to place you in the only location where he can hurt you," he stated, ruthlessly pushing his point.  "Overall, everyone is in far more danger if they remain here on the Hellmouth than if they take the fight to him.  Buffy, we must end this.  Once and for all."

    Sighing, Buffy slowly closed her eyes against her friends' faces.  She loved them all so much that it killed her to think that she could be bringing them before an even greater danger than what they faced on the Hellmouth or in her native Los Angeles.  They were asking her to bring them to the front line of a war.  Such a move could be asked of Faith and Angel, for after all, it was their destiny along with hers to face the darkness that opposed their world... but the others?  They didn't have to do any of this, and in that moment, Buffy realized that such a thing made the others the bravest of them all.  Even more brave than she and Faith and Angel.  For it took far more courage to face an enemy that needn't be opposed.  Then again, in her heart she knew that Giles was right.  She knew it from the moment that she had been forced to make this decision.  It was a lose-lose situation and her watcher had merely forced her to see which loss could have the potential to be greater.  Her friends could suffer more by taking them to the front lines of this battle, but in the end, the world would suffer the most if they didn't.  And she understood the other subtle truth to Giles words: Hogwarts and everyone there, including Harry Potter, would fall without them for they couldn't possibly face Voldemort on their own. 

    "Then we go," Buffy murmured, her eyes opening as she slowly stood before her friends.  "We go to Hogwarts," she repeated, her voice becoming more sure as everyone nodded their acceptance of their words.  They had known that they would win all along, for there was no other decision for Buffy to make.  "Giles, get a hold of Samuel and see if you can arrange for two portkeys-"

    "Two?" the watcher asked, his confusion evident.

    "Yeah, we have a stop to make before returning to your mother country," Buffy returned, a sly smile lifting her lips.  "We have some old friends to see first."

    With a soft whoosh of displaced air, ten people appeared in the large, marble foyer that had been deserted up until a second earlier, all but one swaying and stumbling on their feet as their equilibrium slowly caught up to them.  "Ooh, I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that," Buffy grumbled as she released her death lock on Xander's arm and turned bright green eyes to the grand entryway that seemed only vaguely familiar.  "A lot nicer than I remembered," she muttered as the group slowly began to fan out, their eyes warily trained on their surroundings yet heeding enough sense to remain behind the small slayer.

    "Buffy, we haven't much time," Giles murmured, stepping to his slayer's side even as his eyes swept over the grand marble that glittered under the waning sunlight that bathed the room from towering windows behind them.  They were on the eastern side of the continent now, which meant that it was now three hours later and that much closer to returning to where they were needed.

    "I know," Buffy returned, her voice a soft hush.  "This won't take long," she added, a sly smile lifting her lips as if on cue, a stream of men and women dressed in the finest of suits seemed to empty from the corridors that surrounded them, black pistols raised and pointed at their entourage.  Grinning openly now, Buffy took a small step forward as the guns instantly followed her movements, dozens of eyes locking on her - some more than a little familiar.  "Hello boys - did y'a miss me?" she asked, smiling saccharine sweet at a couple of men right before her - men that stumbled slightly as their eyes widened in recognition.  But whatever retort they were to offer quickly died as the armed personnel began to part in a small wave as the hard tapping of stiletto heels echoed in the marble room.

    "Alright, someone better tell me what in the hell is... Buffy?"

    Feeling her grin widen, Buffy watched as the tall, leggy brunette froze just before her contingent of sweepers, brown eyes locked with her green.  Tilting her head to the side, the small slayer took in the expensively tailored black leather skirt that ended mid-thigh and the cream colored blouse that had to be silk, the perfectly coiffed brown hair and the brown eyes that stared at her with such amazement.  And the revolver that was now pointed at the ground, of course.  "Glad to see that running a private organization hasn't changed you a bit, Miss Parker," Buffy finally stated, smirking as the taller woman arched a fine brow at the girl before waving for her security personnel to lower their weapons.

    "Someone send for Jarod," she ordered, her voice clipped as she turned her eyes back to the small blond.  "Well, you certainly have," she stated, her tone dry as her eyes scoured over the smaller girl.  Tan cords, black, slim-fitting tank, blond hair pulled back in a smooth French twist, and green eyes that seemed to sparkle.  All in all, the girl that stood before her looked more like the girl that Miss Parker had met close to a year ago back in Sunnydale and not at all like the shell of a girl that had remained once the Centre had been through with her.

    "Like the hair?"

    "Suits you better than being bald," Parker returned, the smallest of smiles pulling at her lips as her eyes looked past the girl to take in the odd entourage that flanked her.  She recognized all save for four, yet from the way that they grouped together, it was obvious that they all knew each other - knew each other well, from the looks of it.  "Two questions," she continued, eyes gliding back to the small waif of a girl that had been the previous Centre's undoing.  "One, what are you doing here?  And two, how in the hell did you just pop out of nowhere?"

    "In reverse order?  Magic and we need your help," Buffy returned, her explanation halting as another joined their midst, one that was much more obvious in his happiness at seeing her again.  "Jarod!" she greeted, unable to quell her enthusiasm at seeing the man that had saved her life in so many ways - a man who had shared a fate with her for a time.  Grinning, she quickly strode forward and wrapped her arms around the pretender's neck, laughing softly as his strong arms held her and lifted her high before placing her back on her feet.

    "So you do still exist," Jarod exclaimed, his boyish grin lifting his features as he stood back, his brown eyes tracing over her form.  "We hadn't heard from you in months, and Broots couldn't find hide nor hair of you and Giles," he added, turning away to nod briefly at the watcher who had joined their little circle.

    "My bad," Buffy returned, grinning impishly at him.  "I was unexpectedly called out of the country and I wasn't sure if the Centre accepted owl post," she deadpanned, her grin widening as Parker and Jarod shared twins look of confusion.  Laughing, she quickly shook her head.  "Listen, I promise to explain later, but for now we need your help."

    "Whatever you need, you know it's yours," Jarod quickly returned, locking eyes with Miss Parker as she nodded her head in confirmation.

    "Just the answer that I was counting on," Buffy sighed before turning and nodding at the group behind her.  Instantly Xander, Oz, Wesley and Cordelia broke from the others and moved to join them.  "How soon can you outfit them with four sniper rifles and enough tranquilizer darts to take down an army, in addition to any smoke bombs or any other non-lethal yet incapacitating implements of war?" she asked, her eyes returning to the two.

    "An army?" Parker asked even as Jarod turned his eyes to the side, obviously doing some quick tallying in his head.

    "Ten minutes work for you?" he finally asked, seemingly satisfied with whatever figures he had come up with.

    "If you can do it in five then you'll be my hero forever," Buffy quickly returned, watching as the pretender nodded slowly.

    "Consider it done," Jarod confirmed as he quickly turned away, his hand reaching for his cell phone even as Parker nodded at the contingent of sweepers behind her.

    "Let's do this people," she barked, her eyes narrowing threateningly as a group quickly broke away from the rest and began to follow after the pretender.  Seemingly satisfied that the task would be completed as ordered, the brunette then returned her attention to the others.  "So I've got five minutes, let's hear it."

    "I don't think you're quite going to believe what I'm going to tell you," Buffy warned, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

    "Try me."

To be continued...